Chapter 42: We Shall Meet in Court

"Small squabbles between a married couple are just a form of affection. I’ve prepared a surprise for my Mr. Gu. See you tonight."

Accompanying the post was a photo of a heart-shaped cake and the latest Lego set.

After posting, Tang Xi deleted the stock photo she had found online. Her eyes inadvertently fell upon the album in her phone, filled with thousands of photos of her and Gu Yu—from their travels to their daily life at home, every little moment preserved. She had stored all these images on iCloud, unable to bring herself to delete a single one.

Looking at them now, she couldn't help but wonder: when Gu Yu took these photos with her, had he just been in contact with that mother and son in Hong Kong? When he sent her selfies from his business trips, was someone else standing behind the camera?

Tang Xi opened the storage app and selected "Delete All." As she watched the album become completely empty, she felt a vast void open up in her heart, yet it was accompanied by the relief that there would be no more betrayal or deception. New seeds would eventually take root and sprout once more.

At noon, Auntie Yu sent a message saying that Gu Wennuan had arrived with little Feng. Tang Xi had instructed Auntie Yu to prepare a meal and had even taken a bottle of red wine from the cellar. A while later, Auntie Yu messaged again to say that Gu Yu had returned home as well.

Clutching her phone, Tang Xi smiled. Gu Wennuan had truly not disappointed her.

An hour later, Tang Xi appeared at her own home. She had not returned since she decided to divorce Gu Yu. In the living room, two cartoon cushions sat on the sofa—the ones she and Gu Yu had picked out together while on vacation abroad. She had been involved in every step of the house’s renovation; the massive mural to the left of the foyer was painted by her own hand.

The home that had once been so warm now felt chillingly cold as she stepped inside. Auntie Yu stood by the door, glancing toward the second floor, and whispered, "The master and Miss Gu have been upstairs for a long time."

Tightening her grip on her phone, Tang Xi climbed the stairs step by step. The door to her bedroom was left ajar, and low, intimate sounds drifted from within. Even with her mental preparation, Tang Xi felt a tightness in her chest. Through her phone's camera, which was recording, she saw her husband entangled with his sister.

They were in her bedroom, on her bed, and the irony was made sharper by the many artistic portraits of her hanging on the walls. Gu Yu had once said he liked to be able to see her the moment he looked up. Now, he was holding another woman, panting and kissing her...

Suppressing the nausea rising within her, Tang Xi recorded a video. Just as she was about to turn and leave, a figure suddenly lunged at her like a cannonball, slamming into her lower abdomen. Tang Xi felt a wave of dizziness from the pain, and her phone nearly slipped from her grasp.

Little Feng stared at her viciously, looking highly pleased with himself. Though just a child, he was heavy, and his head was hard; he had used all his strength in the collision.

"You vixen! You shameless vixen! Spying on my mom and dad!"

Little Feng’s voice was loud enough for the two people inside the room to hear. By the time the pain subsided, Tang Xi heard Gu Yu’s voice: "Wife? Wife, you’re back?"

Tang Xi looked up to see him wearing only a hastily thrown-on bathrobe, the marks of their intimacy still visible on his neck—a jarring contrast to the look of "surprise" on his face.